Massaman curry recipe made with an aromatic curry paste, chunks of juicy chicken, sliced new potatoes and a Thai coconut cream sauce. Great served up with cashew nuts, sliced red chillies and fragrant fresh coriander.
Place a large pan on a medium heat and the oil, garlic and sliced onions and gently fry until starting to soften. Next add the chicken and stir fry to seal off the edges of the meat.
Add the sliced potatoes to the chicken and onions and continue to stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes so allowing the potatoes to start cooking. Then transfer the contents of the pan to a large bowl and set to one side.
250 g potatoes
Return the pan to the heat and add 2 large tablespoon of Massaman curry paste (homemade or shop bought). Cook for a minute or so and allow the paste to release its flavours. Turn the pan to a low heat and stir in the coconut milk, sugar and star anise.
2 tablespoon Massaman Curry paste, 400 ml tin of Coconut milk, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 Star anise
When the sauce has heated through add the partially cooked chicken, potatoes and onions and mix in until well coated in the sauce. Bring the pan to a very gentle simmer then place on a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.
Next add the chopped sugar snap peas to the curry and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
100 g sugar snap peas
Find and remove the star anise. Then taste the curry and season to your liking with lime juice and fish sauce.
½ a lime juiced, ½ teaspoon Fish sauce
Serve and top with freshly sliced red chillies, fresh coriander leaves and chopped cashews nuts.
Toppings: Fresh coriander
Video
Notes
Chicken: This recipe uses raw chicken. However, cooked shredded chicken can also be used. This means you could buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken from a previous meal.Potatoes: Choose a waxy variety that will hold together well such as Charlotte, Anya, baby or new potatoes. Leave the skins on for a more rustic finish and to add more fibre to your meal.Coconut milk: Coconut milk is the base of most Thai curries. However, if you need a different option the best replacement in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you could also use yogurt (full fat).Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.Chicken massaman curry: The chicken can be replace with your preferred meat or fish (lamb or cod are good options). Or swap in for veggies (courgette, aubergine, sweet potato) if you want to make a vegetarian tikka masala.Coconut milk: This will have separated in the can so give it a shake and a stir before adding to the pan.Spicy massaman curry: For an extra kick add in sliced chilli pepper or a few drops of Tabasco or a teaspoon of hot chilli powder.How to store? Once made, allow the massaman curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.What to serve with massaman curry? Serve up with a helping of jasmine rice or plain rice, plus extra cashew nuts, fresh chilli and fresh coriander.